“ And there are activities ... from the churches to the community center . They are even building programs within those entities because of all the activity that has come into the town . So , it ’ s a trickle-down effect , and it ’ s just been wonderful . I don ’ t want to be the only game in town .”
Though she may not want to be the only game in town , Johnson ’ s Salamander Middleburg is one of the most significant destinations in Middleburg . Since opening its doors in 2013 , the stately , art-filled property has grown from strength to strength , earning a reputation for setting the gold standard in hospitality in Virginia and the industry at large .
Today , what began as a single property has grown into a collection of luxury properties in a portfolio that includes Salamander Washington DC , Hotel Bennett in Charleston , Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay , Half Moon in Jamaica , and Aspen Meadows , home of the Aspen Institute . Meanwhile , as the collection ’ s flagship property has racked up numerous awards and accolades , the hotel collection was recently voted the # 1 Best Luxury Hotel Brand in the USA TODAY 10Best 2023 Readers ’ Choice Awards .
The raft of praises bestowed upon the Salamander Collection can be attributed at least in part to the wide range of annual events hosted at the properties , which include the Middleburg Film Festival , a PGA TOUR event at Innisbrook Golf Resort and various food and wine events of every stripe and variety featuring top chefs from around the world . However , the defining characteristic of the Salamander experience is a commitment to excellence and the highest standards in every category across the board — a thing Sheila Johnson knows more than a thing or two about based on personal experience .
“ Being on this book tour , I ’ ve been staying in many hotels , and I ’ m shocked at how so many companies have watered down their brand ,” Johnson recounts . “ They ’ re not paying attention to the detail it takes
Salamander Washington D . C . to maintain their brand because they now have so many different variations , and [ they ’ re ] just too big . I think they ’ re just trying to keep putting money in the till instead of sticking with the value system of their brand . And that ’ s what worries me . It ’ s almost like the value system has disappeared . It ’ s only about the money . It ’ s only about heads in beds . And that ’ s where I want to separate Salamander from all these other hotel companies . And that will drive revenue because people will see that they feel better in our hotels and that we ’ re paying attention to them and their needs .”
“ As a hotel company , our approach to hospitality is the same as it is to family : you will always belong , always feel welcome , respected , appreciated , and special .”
Thus far , Johnson ’ s approach to hospitality has proved as winning as her approach to the third act of her life , which she describes as her happiest . In addition to her investments in the hospitality industry , she has , through her investment in Monumental Sports & Entertainment , for which she serves as Vice-Chairman , prospered as a sports mogul , becoming the only Black woman to own stakes in three professional leagues : the NBA Wizards , the NHL Capitals , and the 2019 championship-winning WNBA Mystics . And , perhaps most significantly , she has found the love she says she had always craved and wanted but never felt . Ironically , she is married to the Honorable William T . Newman , the judge who handled her divorce proceeding . They were married in 2005 and have been happily coupled ever since .
Johnson is confident , looking back at her journey and the traumas of her former life , from which she says she is “ almost ” completely healed . “ Challenges , mistakes , and even failure are all experiences that present opportunities to learn from and overcome , leading to you emerging as a stronger person ,” she says plainly . Like the salamander that symbolizes the third act of her life , Johnson has walked through fire and come out on the other side renewed and whole . However , she had more vital words for women who may find themselves in toxic relationships akin to the one she found herself in over two decades ago .
“ Women need to find someone professional to talk to , someone they can trust ,” Johnson advises . “ I found that I was alone . I didn ’ t know how to crawl out of the dark hole , and people I had gone to told me to stay in the marriage . Now , that ’ s part of the Black culture . You don ’ t leave a marriage , no matter what . You see this in a lot of cultures . I ’ ve learned that I don ’ t believe in that . If you are going to sacrifice your mental health and your self-worth to stay as a prisoner in a very dark place , it ’ s not helping anyone , and it isn ’ t helping your kids . I think you need to look at yourself . So many women don ’ t understand who they are , and that was something I had lost track of . I had built my identity behind one person ; he knew it and took advantage of it . Women have got to be careful not to lose themselves behind someone else . So , they need to find one or two people they can trust to help give them the courage to leave .”
“ Understand your passion and power ,” she adds . “ Don ’ t be a shrinking violet . Fight for what you believe in and set boundaries .”
Sheila Johnson ’ s memoir , Walk Through Fire : A Memoir of Love , Loss , and Triumph , was released in September 2023 by Simon & Schuster and is available in bookstores everywhere .
WINTER 2023-24 9
FLYWASHINGTON . COM